Love or Money

Losing Control

TW: Roger, DV, SA

Siobhan had a habit of doing surprise pop ins at the nurseries. This way she could catch them going about their day as normal, not on their best behavior for her. Her old usual parking spot right outside the manager's office window was open so she pulled in out of habit. As she got out a quick movement called her attention to the window just in time to see Reece and Marjorie sharing their first kiss. She was frozen for a moment seeing the passion shared between them. She was transported back to her childhood and saw how her parents looked at each other. She was sure that she would never see a love like that ever again in her life. She never really believed that a love like that actually even existed but instead was just her mind changing her memories into something more fantastical.

For just a moment Siobhan was excited for her old friend. But only for a moment before she was brought crashing back to earth. If Reece, Marjorie, and Autumn were getting along it was a threat to everything Roger built. It was a threat to her dream.

She got back in her car, drove directly back to head office, and went straight to Roger. He didn't need long to decide what to do. Roger knew the exact wedge that could come between his son and his latest squeeze. Mia.

Mia had been his first spy. For nearly 20 years he strung her along with the promise of finding her father. How she hadn't realized by now that was never happening was beyond Roger, but still, she always kept coming back.

After her and Reece's most recent breakup Mia had decided to spend some time traveling. She had always known Reece was not "her type" but the promise of her father and the generous allowance for keeping him within Roger's grasp was enough for her to push that side of her to the back of her mind. At least for the most part. She found ways to have her fun. It wasn't like Reece complained about all the guests they had for the weekends.

She was on a beach in Greece when she got the call she knew would be coming. Roger hadn't stopped sending her weekly payments so she knew she was still on the payroll.

"We need you back," the familiar gruff voice barked over the phone. "Reece has gotten entirely out of hand."

"Oh no..." sarcasm dripped from Mia's every word. "What happened this time? Another attempted murder?"

"Worse. He's fallen for someone. Autumn has too for that matter. They're getting along again."

"I swear, I leave the country for 4 days and you undo 20 years of work. I won't even be back in the country until Saturday."

"Good. You will start work at my nursery on Monday."

"Woah, woah, woah. Who said I was going to help you again. I'm quite enjoying my time off. I don't have to look after some man-child, I can do whatever I wa-"

"Alright Mia...What do you want?"

"Put me on the board."

"Deal." Roger hung up the phone. Another board member was a small price to pay for regaining control of his family. He had the money to solve all his problems, why would he hesitate to use it.

Roger was never much of a family man. At one point he thought he could be. He had a woman he was quite fond of and when she became pregnant he knew he had to do the honorable thing. They were both quite young. He was barely 22 at the time and she was only 20. She had been his high school sweetheart.

He decided to use his modest savings to start a childcare center that grew rapidly. Roger worked on the business end while his wife ran the rooms. They had a comfortable life, a stable income and soon two children. He was happy for a couple years but he could no longer deny that he wanted more.

He often thought about the life he could have if he didn't have a family weighing him down. He couldn't miss out on the chance to be a young, rich man about the town. He spent all his free time at bars and went home with numerous women. Whenever he was home he and his wife would do nothing but fight. One day a screaming match turned into something more. He felt himself snap to a place he had never been before. That was the first time he hit her. Not just once. He couldn't stop. He was enjoying the feeling of control it brought him. How with this quick fix, she stopped fighting. She gave in to his will.

He was not surprised when his wife left him for someone else. After that first violent outburst they were becoming more frequent and he was using the technique on more than just her. Any time he his children talked back, disobeyed him, or were making too much noise he knew how to handle it.

Roger wasn't upset that she was gone. He never loved her to begin with, she was more of an obligation. He was surprised when he was left with the children. Not that it didn't make the most sense. He owned everything, his wife and her new boyfriend had nothing. She promised she would be back for them when she had the means. But that day never came.

After she left his nights out got more frequent and the resulting fights got more violent. His children were his biggest regret in life and he would not let them forget it. The rules got more strict. Any slip in grades, refusing to participate in sports, missing curfew by even 30 seconds would result in punishment. Throwing objects, punches, verbal abuse, he would do anything to make sure they knew it was going to be his way. The children feared for their lives, but he was in control.

And that control was what he needed again. Against all his attempts the children grew up with a strong resolve and a fantastic bond. He had broken that bond once before with Mia's help, but this time it would be harder. On top of his imposing stature Reece had grown incredibly strong through years of work to defend his sister. Autumn was strong in her own right, a champion wrestler and certified self-defense coach. Now with their renewed relationship and the support of their respective partners they had an incredible amount of power on their side.

One day Siobhan gathered the courage to ask Roger about his ex-wife. Unfortunately for her he was not in the mood to reminisce. She had gone so long avoiding the treatment she knew he was capable of. But again, once he started he couldn't stop. Roger felt he was losing control of his children, he was not going to lose control of her. Once again the rules became more strict. She was not to speak in his presence unless spoken to. Outfits had to be approved by Roger. She had a curfew. A single step out of line would result in punishment.

He wouldn't dare hit her face or anywhere obvious. Her injuries remained hidden and no one would know what she was going through. She could take the pain though, she was anything but weak. What broke her was when he would force himself on her to apologize. Using the time he was violating her to tell her how much he "loved" her and how this was making their relationship stronger. Why would he bring love into this? All he was doing was proving to her more and more that love had no place in her life. It couldn't if this is how it made her feel.